Combination see-saw and merry-go-round



July 21, 1959 L 'PITTALUGA 2,895,734

COMBINATION SEE-SAW AND MERRY-GQ-ROUND Filed July 10, 1958 LA/P21 01114 United States Patent COMBINATION SEE-SAW AND MERRY-GO-ROUND Louis Pittaluga, Willow Grove, Pa.

Application July 10, 1958, Serial .No. 747,730 3 Claims. (Cl. 272-30) The present invention relates generally to amusement devices involving the combined mechanical movements and entertainment features of a see-saw and a merry-go round, and is used for play by occupants seated at opposite ends of a teeter board mounted for oscillation about a centrally disposed horizontal axis.

More particularly the present invention is concerned with structural improvements of my prior Patent No. 2,819,080 whereby a more durable, reliable and more simply constructed device is provided. Oscillation of the teeter board in my prior patent was effected through a single link secured at one end through a universal connection to a point on the teeter board, and connected at its other end to an eccentrically disposed bearing member, whose central axis was parallel to the pivotal axis of the teeter board. In some instances after an extended period of nonuse, for example, or because of inadequate lubrication of the bearing members, the link connections would tend to freeze and consequently failure of the link or the associated connections would result due to the undue stresses induced therein.

In accordance with the present invention a new, different and improved means for effecting oscillatory movement of the teeter board about a horizontal axis is provided and wherein failures of the type discussed above are precluded. This means comprises generally a rigid single composite tie rod including tie rod portions extending on two sides of a central support and having their inner ends rotatably interconnected with an offset upright shaft member and pivotally connected at their outer ends to the teeter board. Since the angular relationship between the offset shaft and the longitudinal axis of the teeter board is constant during rotation of the board, and since the tie rod is mounted for oscillatory movement with respect to the board, the need for a universal connection disclosed in my prior patent is elimi nated and consequently the difficulties encountered in this type device are obviated.

With the foregoing in mind, an object of the present invention is to provide a teeter board mounted for planetary movement about a central axis in such a manner that the end of the board moves in the circumferential path of a circle having its plane at an anglewtih a vertical axls.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a see-saw device in which the normal operation of the teeter board effected by the shifting of the weights of the occupants produces propulsion of the device in a rotary fashion about a central vertical axis.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of simple and inexpensive design in which the amusement and recreational features of a see-saw and a merry-go-round are combined to optimum advantage.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a device of this character which is of unusually simple and economical construction, and requires for its operation only an upright shaft with an eccentrically office 2 .fi set upper end, and a tie rod member rotatably secured to the eccentric portion of the shaft and at the ends of the portions thereof to the points on the teeter board.

These and other objects of the present invention, and the various features and details of the operation and construction thereof, are herinafter more fully set forth and described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with certain of the parts moved to an alternate position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and particularly Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, reference numeral 10 designates generally a combination see-saw and merrygo-round in accordance with the present invention which is supported on a central fixed cylindrical post 12 mounted on a base member 14 which in turn may be secured on any firm horizontal base, such as the ground, a concrete base or floor. A cylindrical sleeve member 16 telescopes over post member 12 and is secured thereto by means of a pin 18. Adjustable means in the base member 14 may be provided so that the sleeve member 16 may be selectively moved vertically to provide a means for adjusting the height of the apparatus. The upper portion of sleeve member 16 supports collar 20. Extending upwardly from collar 29 coaxially of the post member 12 is a spacer member 22. The teeter board is mounted for vertical oscillatory movement about bearing seats or studs 24 secured to a vertically extending hollow shaft 26 which is rotatably mounted on shaft 12 through vertical and radial thrust bearings 28 and 30 adjacent the lower and upper ends of shaft 12 respectively. The teeter board is provided at its opposite ends wtih seats 32, 32, and may also be provided with handle bars 34 and foot rests 36, as illustrated.

Supports such as at 38 may also be provided for other occupants of the device in the form of a pair of oppositely extending arms 40, 40 secured to opposite sides of hollow shaft 26, and extending radially in opposite directions at right angles to the teeter board. The supports include seats 42 for occupants who may enjoy a free ride resulting from the exertions of the occupants of seats 32, 32.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for imparting oscillatory movement of the teeter board about a horizontal axis, simultaneous with rotary movement of the board about a vertical axis. To this end, shaft 12 is offset angularly at 44, and this offset end is again offset at 46 so that the axis of the offset portion 46 of the shaft 12 is always perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the teeter board to thereby eliminate, as noted previously, the need for a universal connection at the offset portion. A collar 48 is rotatably mounted on a reduced diameter end portion 50 of the offset portion of shaft 12 by means of a retaining ring 52 secured to the shaft by a pin 54. A single rigid tie rod 56 includes portions 56a and 56b which have their inner ends formed integrally with the collar 48, and extend outwardly from the collar and are secured at their outer ends through a pivotal connection to the teeter board at points substantially removed from the axis of rotation thereof. The pivotal connection comprises, as shown in Fig. 3, brackets 58, 58 mounted along the longitudinal axis of the teeter board and a pin 60 connecting the tie rod for limited oscillatory movement about the axis of the pin 60. With reference to Fig. 3 the tie rod portions 56a, 56b are bent at their outer portions 61 to thereby permit oscillation of the tie rod about the pins 60 which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the teeter board. The axis of the shaft ofiset portion 46 and the pivotal axis of the tie rod intersect at right angles on the vertical axis of the bearing member as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 3.

In operation with the teeter board in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the occupant of the seat on the right is in the lowest possible position and the other occupant at the highest. The parts are at dead center at this position, and the tie rod is aligned with a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the teeter board. Theoretically, if the parts are stationary in this position and a preponderance of force is exerted downwardly against the left hand seat, no movement will occur because of the dead center position. In the actual operation of the device, however, it will be started in a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation from a position somewhat angularly rotated from dead center, or the dead center position will be crossed by the momentum attained in prior operation. Assuming that it is the desire of the occupants to obtain rotation in a clockwise direc tion simultaneously with the teeter board action, it will be started in operation from an angular position removed clockwise from a dead center position to a slight degree, or by providing a slight impulse of force in a clockwise direction to the apparatus from dead center position. To effect rotation, the occupants will shift their weights radially of the device in such a way that the force moment obtained from the weight to the left is greater than the resisting moment from the right, as is conventional in a teeter board operation.

Assume with reference to Fig. 2, that the teeter board is actuated in a counterclockwise direction. This rotary movement of the board results in an upward movement of the right hand end of the teeter board and a corresponding upward movement of the axes of the pins 60, thereby moving the tie rod 56 progressively to a more nearly horizontal position. During this angular movement, the tie rod will oscillate about the axes of the pins 60 through a slight angle from a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the teeter board. As shown in Fig. 3, the axes of the pins 60 and the longitudinal axis of the teeter board are parallel. With reference to Fig. 5, it will be seen that by the time the right hand end of the board has been rotated about the central axis to a position at right angles to the initial dead center position (i.e. to the position occupied by support 38 in Fig. 1) the tie rod will have oscillated about the axes of the pins 60 from a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the teeter board through a clockwise arc. At this time the position of the two occupants will be at the same level.

As the right hand end of the teeter board continues to move in a counterclockwise direction about the vertical axis until the positions of the occupants are reversed by completion of a full 180 rotation, the tie rod will have reversed its oscillation about the axes of the pins 60 until it has again reached a position in alignment with the vertical plane passing through .the longitudinal axis of the teeter board, as illustrated in Fig. 4. During continued movement of the teeter board in a counterclockwise direction back to the initial position, the tie rod will oscillate about the axes of the pins 60 in a similar manner as during the initial 180 of rotation. Thus during a 360 rotary cycle, the tie rod will oscillate about the axes of the pins between a vertical position as shown in Fig. 4 and an angular position as shown in Fig. 5.

If desired, the collar can be formed as a closed member having a grease retaining chamber therein, to thereby eliminate the necessity of frequent lubrications.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novel improvement in a combination see-saw and merry-go-round wherein smooth and eflicient operation of the device is assured. Further the device of the presentinvention circumvents the need for an expensive and easily broken universal connection of prior apparatus by providing a device wherein the pivotal axis bears a fixed angular relationship with the longitudinal axis of the teeter board throughout rotation of the board about a central axis. Further it can be seen that the device is of relatively simplified construction and may be manufactured easily and cheaply.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it is not intended to limit the invention to such a disclosure and changes and modifications may be incorporated and embodied therein within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A see-saw device comprising a bearing member extending vertically from a supporting surface, a teeter board pivotally mounted on said bearing member for oscillatory and rotary movement with respect to a vertical axis defined by said bearing member, a shaft member formed as an extension of said bearing member and angularly offset with respect to the vertical axis defined by said bearing member, a collar rotatably mounted on said ofiset shaft and a single rigid tie rod having portions secured to and extending outwardly from the collar in opposite directions and pivotally secured at their outer extremities to the teeter board at locations longitudinally spaced from its mounting on the bearing member.

2. A see-saw device comprising a bearing member extending vertical-1y from a supporting surface, a teeter board pivotally mounted on said bearing member for rotary movement with respect to a vertical axis defined by said bearing member, and for oscillatory movement with respect to an axis transverse to said vertical axis defined by said bearing member, a shaft formed as an extension of said bearing member and angularly offset with respect to a vertical axis defined by said bearing member, a collar rotatably mounted on said shaft and a single rigid tie rod having portions secured to and extending outwardly from said collar in opposite directions and pivotally mounted at their outer extremities to the teeter board at locations longitudinally spaced from its mounting on the bearing member, the pivotal axis of the tie rod and the axis of the offset shaft being perpendicular to one another at a point on the vertical axis defined by the bearing member.

3. A see-saw device as claimed in claim 2, said offset shaft being perpendicular to and in a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of said teeter board.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,113,131 'Eyerly Apr. 5, 1938 2,195,805 Baker Apr. 2, 1940 2,819,080 Pittaluga Ian. 7, 1958 

